Trip tube



pil 4, 1944. Y J, F SHAW l 2,345,836

l l TRIP TUBE Filed July 24, 1942 I |/g :g:

JQ; il f Ja l; g' J /0- J I I Patentecl Apr. 4, 1944 TRIP TUBE.

John F. Shaw, Houstom Tex., assignor to Reed Roller Bit Company,Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application July 24, 1942,` SerialNo. 452,166

Z Claims.

This invention relates to an overshot release actuating device.

In the removal of various. tools and instruments from wellsv or thelike, and also at times for placing them thereinv it is. customary touse an overshot which has jaws for gripping a portion of the tool orequipment and` which is provided with means adapted. to. be actuated torelease the engagement of the jaws with the tool or equipment after ithas been properly placed in position. To effect actuation of the releasemechanism when desired for any reason, it is customary to drop a tubularelement down. along the cable which supports the overshot. Since thecable usually is wound about the drum of a hoisting mechanism it isimpossible to thread the end of the cable through the tube for actuatingthe overshotl release mechanism and consequently in the prior artdevices the tube has been split into two component parts which arefastened together about the cable. Such tubes are usually fastenedtogether with screws, bolts or otherl means and the' jobof assemblingthe two parts of the tube forming the overshot release actuating deviceis somewhat tedious and diflicult.

The major object of the present invention is to provide an overshotactuating tube which is free from the disadvantages of the prior art aspointed out above.

It is another object of this invention to provide an overshot actuatingtube which can be easily and quickly assembled on a cable to be droppeddown along the same into actuating position.

With these and other objects in View which will appear more fullyhereinafter in connection with the description of the invention and theillustration of the same in the drawing, the in- Vention resides in theparts and combinations hereinafter described and illustrated.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of an overshot releaseactuating tube constructed in accordance with the present invention andpositioned adjacent the cable on which the tube is to be assembled.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 showing theovershot release actuating tube assembled on the cab-le and locked inposition thereon.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an overshot inposition in a well with the tube for actuating the releasemechanism ofthe overshot in a position just before engagemen with the releasemechanism.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing there is shown a longitudinal sectional view ofa Welll casing I into which is suspended by a cable 2, an overshot 3having jaws 4 for engaging a spear head 5 of a drilling tool or otherWell equipment 6. The jaws 4 yof the overshot are provided with releaseactu- 1- ating mechanism in the form of levers 'I forming extensions ofthe jaws 4.

ZThere is also shown in Fig. 4 a tube for actuating the releasemechanism of the overshot, which tube is adapted to be assembled on thecable 2 and dropped down into the well along the'cable to a positionwhereby the lower end of the tube will engage the levers 'I and actuatethe same to release the jaws 4 from the spear head 5 of the tool 6.

The present invention is directed to the construction of the tube whichis dropped down into the Well along the cable 2 for actuating therelease mechanism of the overshot. With reference to the structure ofthe tube, the latter comprises an elongated body part 8 having an openslot 9 extending longitudinally along one side thereof. This slot is ofsufficient width to permit the cable 2 to be passed therethrough sothatthe tube may be assembled on the cable as illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawing. As illustrated, the ends I0 of the body 8 are reduced indiameter to provide portions on which end members I2 are mounted. Theend members are secured in place by Welding or in any suitable mannerand are preferably formed of some material that is harder and moreresistant than the material of the body 8 so as to endure the bumpswhich are encountered by the ends of the structure. These end membersare of dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the body 8 indiameter and are likewise formed with longitudinally extending slots I3which are aligned With and form part of the slot 9 in the body 8.

It will be noted that the end members I2 are of reduced externaldiameter to form seats on which sleeves I4 are rotatably mounted. Eachof the sleeves has an axially extending slot I5 formed in one sidethereof of a width corresponding to that of the slots 9 and I3. A ring I6 is mounted on the free end of each of the end members I2 and serves toretain the sleeves I4 in an assembled position. These rings may bemaintained in place by welding or other suitable means and are providedwith slotted por- I8 drop into the slots I5 as illustrated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing.

After the release mechanism actuating tube is secured on the cable 2 itis dropped into the Well in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 and at theend of its stroke the lower end of said tube will en-gage the levers Iof the overshot to cause the jaws 4 to release engagement with the head5 of the tool.

From the foregoing description it will be ap- 1 v-preciated that thepresent invention provides a as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing thesleeves I4 are rotated so as to move the slots I5 therein y In order tomaintain the sleeves I4 in a posi# tion in which theslots therein willbe out .of

register with the slots in the end members I 2 the present inventionprovides lspring actuated means for entering the slots of the sleeves.Remote from the slotted portion 9 of the body member 8 and adjacent eachend of said body member, the -body member and the adjacent end membersI2 are provided with longitudinally extending recesses in which aremounted springs I8 riveted or otherwise secured by elements I9 to thebody member 8. These Springs are ordinary leaf springs and arepreferably of a width substantially corresponding to the width of theslotted portions I5 of the sleeves I4. It will be appreciated that whenthe sleeves I4 are rotated so that the slots I5 therein are directlybeneath the springs I8 the latter Will snap into said slots and preventthe sleeves from being rotated back into a position in which the slotsI5 are in register with the slots I3 of the end members I2.

In utilizing the structure according to the pres- Ithereof adjusted tothe position in which the slots I5 are in register with the slots I3 ofthe end members and the slot 9 of the body members and the slots I'I ofthe rings I 6 is assembled on the cable. With the parts in thisposition, the cable 2 may be easily passed through said alignedlongitudinally extending slots and then the sleeves I4 are rotated untilthe springs simple overshot release mechanism actuating tube which maybe easily assembled on a cable along which it is to be dropped and whichwill be effectively secured on said cable against accidental removalfrom the same.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An overshot release comprising a tube having a slot therein toreceive a cable-like element on which the tube is to be mounted, sleevemeans rctatively mounted on the tube and having a slot to register` withthe slot in the tube to enable mounting of the tube on the cable-likeelement and movable to a position wherein the slot in the sleeve meansis out of register with 'that in the tube to retain the tube on thecable-like element, and spring actuated means for entering the slot inthe sleeve means to latch the latter in retaining position.

2. In an apparatus for engaging tools and implements in wells andincluding a cable and an overshot suspended thereby and havingreleasable jaws, a trip tube adapted to be placed on said cable anddropped along the cable to trip the release of said jaws, said tubecomprising a tubular body having an' open slot along one side thereof ofsufficient Width to receive said cable, tubular end members of hardenedmaterial carried by the ends of said body and having longitudinal slotstherein aligned With the slot in the body, a longitudinally slottedsleeve mounted on each end member and rotatable from a position in whichits slot is in register with the slot in the end member, to permitplacing of the tube on the cable, to a position in which the sleeve slotis out of register with the slot in the end member to close the latterslot, and leaf springs carried by the body remote from the slot thereinfor entering the slots in the sleeves when aligned with said springs toretain the sleeves in positions to close the slots in the end members. s

JOHN F. SHAW.

